Therapy
by Kayla2
Summary: After a tragic loss, an old friend offers to help Sonny Corinthos get his life together. Will he find romance along the way? Sonny & Alexis, Kevin & Lucy
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – Friends 'Til the End**

This story begins in August 2013. Most everything that has happened on the show prior to 2013 has happened in this story. Exceptions: Connie killed Olivia in a fit of jealousy and preparing to stand trial (it's doubtful she'll make an appearance in this story. Also, when Jeanine Matthews came to town, it was revealed that her child with Mike Corbin was Zander Smith not Courtney Matthews (sorry Courtney fans). Sonny never had Zander beaten and Zander never flipped out and became an arsonist. Still, their relationship is strained for various reasons that will come out later. Final FYI, I'm envisioning Lexi Ainsworth as Kristina.

August 10, 2013-

Sonny paced as he waited for Kristina's train from Connecticut to arrive. Though all three of his boys had been in Port Charles this summer, he missed his daughter. There was something sweet about her that was different than his sons. Sure, Michael was a nice kid, but he was starting to identify with his Quartermaine side. While he knew all he'd have to do was ask Michael not to spend so much time with A.J. or ELQ and he'd stop, he couldn't deny his son the opportunity to make his mark in the legitimate world of business. Then there was Dante, the cop. They'd almost become close. Then Sonny went and messed it up by romancing Dante's mother, Olivia, and her cousin, Connie within months of each other. It was perhaps the worst decision he'd ever made and it had left he and Dante further at odds than he ever dreamed possible. Finally, there was Morgan, his youngest, who at 20 years old was now engaged to a young woman with a sketchy mother. Worse yet, Morgan seemed to have inherited his grandfather's gambling addiction. However, if Sonny was honest with himself, he would admit that the strain on their relationship came when Morgan walked in on him and Shawn Butler beating Franco. He'd never seen that kind of fear in his son's eyes.

It had not been an easy summer by any stretch of his imagination. So, Kristina would be a welcome sight.

It was true that his daughter was no angel. In fact, his girl intentionally pushed his buttons more regularly than his sons. At twenty-one, she'd already had a marriage annulled. She pretended to date one of his rivals. And she gained and lost admission to an Ivy League school. But, of all his kids, she was the one who was most like him. Though she fought with him, she understood him. That was what he needed right now.

"Dad!" Kristina waved to him from the platform.

"Hey, baby girl!" Sonny held out his arms and waited for his daughter. She was a gorgeous girl, petite like his mother and smart and beautiful like her mother. Of all of the things he'd come to regret in his life, having her as his daughter was not one of those things.

He held one of his girl's hands and pulled her suitcase with the other.

Kristina squeezed his hand. "I'm so sorry about Olivia…and Connie."

Sonny silently nodded twice. He then cocked his head from side to side as he weighed how he should respond. He decided to remain silent as he put her baggage in the trunk of the car. They got in and began to drive.

Kristina spoke again. "Dad, you know what happened is not your fault, right?"

"Yeah, yeah." He whispered. "You sound like your mother and Michael."

"They're right, you know."

"If it wasn't for me, Connie wouldn't have lost it and killed Olivia. "

"Dad, you couldn't have known—"

"Kristina, don't." He cut her off.

Olivia and Connie were simply two more casualties in the mess he called his life. There had been so much loss around him: his mother, Joe Scully, Lily, three of his children, and even his daughter's namesake, her aunt Kristina. Those who survived hadn't fared much better. Two of his three sons had been shot. Michael and Kristina had been kidnapped. His life was a mess. Dante hated him. He was losing Michael to AJ. And Morgan was half afraid of him.

He would not allow Kristina to make excuses for him. She needed to see him, as he was, warts and all. That way, she would always keep a safe distance from him and she wouldn't be disappointed when he let her down…like he let everyone down.

Kristina didn't say another word for awhile. She simply placed her hand on top of her dad's.

Halfway to the Lakehouse, Kristina spoke again. "How's Dante?"

"Wish I knew. He's not talking to me. " Sonny sighed. "I don't blame him."

"He'll come around."

Sonny shrugged.

"Are you okay?" Kristina squeezed his hand a bit. "I know Olivia and Connie were important to you. I liked them both."

He nodded.

Kristina thought it was best to change the subject. "I'm glad you came to pick me up yourself…without the guards. We don't get to spend much time together. I hate that it's under these circumstances. "

"Me too."

Though she appreciated the absence of the guards, she suddenly became concerned that they weren't around. Kristina sighed. "Is there some reason you don't have the guards?"

"Don't need them."

"Are you sure?"

Sonny chuckled. "You sound like your mother."

"Really?" Kristina raised an eyebrow. "I've only heard Mom talk about how she hates the guards."

Sonny shook his head. "No, I meant you sounded like your mom back when we were neighbors."

"You were neighbors?" The surprise in Kristina's voice was evident. "You guys never talk about that."

"Some things are better left unsaid." Sonny smiled sadly. He considered elaborating, but there were so many memories that he didn't need to have haunt him again.

As they pulled into the driveway, Sonny saw Alexis, Sam and Molly waiting together for Kristina on the top steps near the terrace. Their arms were interlinked. He looked to the right and saw a bright smile bursting from Kristina's face as she looked back at them. The four "Davis girls" were so close. For a moment, Sonny felt a pang of jealousy. It had been a long time since he'd felt that connected to anyone.

He looked behind the women and saw Michael, Morgan, and his brother Zander. Though each of these guys were part of his family, they felt individually and collectively comfortable at the Lakehouse with these women. Something over the years caused them to be much more comfortable here than they ever were at Greystone.

As the car pulled to a stop Michael and Molly raced to the car door. Sonny's car was barely in park when Kristina hopped out and hugged her siblings. Sam, Alexis and Zander soon joined them. Morgan remained on the terrace.

Sonny watched as the rest of his daughter's family embraced her tightly. He looked toward the terrace and gave Morgan a slight nod. In response, Morgan walked back into the house.

As the group made it's way toward the house, Sonny made his way back to his car. As much as he wanted to spend time with his daughter, he was not in a mood to hear how he'd screwed everything up…again.

Kristina was the first to notice Sonny was leaving. She called out, "Dad, aren't you going to stay?"

"Nah, I'll come by tomorrow after Olivia's funeral."

Alexis knew Sonny's routine all too well. She was sure he was blaming himself for Connie killing Olivia, but it wasn't his fault. He should have known not to become involved with one woman before he had completely broken ties with another woman, especially given their past. Still, Connie pushing Olivia off of the hospital roof was a tragic event that resulted from Connie placing her desire to have Sonny over her own mental health.

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow." Kristina's voice was soft, barely audible.

Alexis could practically feel the disappointment emanating from her daughter's body. She squeezed her daughter's shoulders and then walked to Sonny's car. She leaned into the window.

"Sonny," she spoke softly, "do you know what your daughter asked me whenever we've spoken in the last week?"

He remained silent. He knew Alexis well enough to know that she would tell him regardless whether he asked.

"'How's dad?' She's worried about you. All of your children are worried about you. It's all I heard while you were picking Kristina up." Alexis stared at him for a minute. "So, why don't you forget your plans to spend the rest of the evening at home brooding, come inside, spend some time with your children and have some food. I promise, I didn't cook any of it." She winked at him.

He chuckled. When had he ever been able to tell Alexis no for anything? "Promise you didn't cook?"

"Ha, ha." She rolled her eyes at him before breaking into a smile when she heard him laughing. "Besides, I have a lovely bay window that overlooks the lake…just in case you get a sudden urge to brood."

"I don't brood."

"Of course you don't."

They walked up the hill together with Alexis holding Sonny's arm. Once inside, Sonny was surprised when he saw a familiar face holding Danny.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my. Is that my old friend Sonny Corinthos? I haven't seen you since the Nurses Ball."

"Hey, Lucy." Sonny walked to where she was standing and kissed her cheek. "I didn't realize you and Alexis were friends."

"I didn't realize a lot about you and Alexis when I came back to town." She smirked. She looked to her left and she saw a petite brunette who was the perfect cross between Sonny and Alexis. "Oh my gosh, you must be Kristina! You are so, so beautiful." Kristina was the only one of Alexis's daughters that she hadn't had a chance to meet.

"Thank you. And you are?"

"I'm Lucy Coe. I'm a very good friend of your mother's and an old friend of your father's. And you are simply beautiful. You know, Laura Spencer and I recently relaunched Deception Cosmetics. You would be perfect as the new face of Deception…"

"Lucy!" Both Sonny and Alexis said at the same time. They then looked at each other.

"Don't worry. You guys can breathe." Kristina chuckled. "After last year, I'm perfectly happy being a college student."

"Fine." Lucy's face morphed into an exaggerated pout. Seconds later, she began to smile. She turned her attention back to Alexis. "Alexis, I didn't realize you were having a party when I stopped by. I only wanted to see Rafe while Doc was seeing a patient in the area."

Sonny eyed a teenaged boy that was sitting closer to Molly than he would like. "Are you, Rafe?"

"Yes sir."

Molly could read the look on his face. "Don't worry Uncle Sonny, we're just friends."

Sonny looked at Alexis and then back at Molly. "Somehow that doesn't make me worry any less."

The doorbell rang.

"Oh that must be Doc!" Lucy bounced over to the door. Her psychiatrist husband, Dr. Kevin Collins appeared with a smile. He went way back with both Sonny and Alexis and he greeted them both warmly. Alexis invited them both to stay for dinner.

Throughout dinner, Kevin watched Sonny. The distance he observed between Sonny and his children surprised Kevin. It was particularly jarring when he thought of the way Sonny had been with Stone. He treated Stone like a younger brother. Yet, Sonny didn't seem to be as close to his own brother, Zander. It was more than just the relationship challenges. There was a sadness about the man that disturbed Kevin. Sonny had always been a bit of a hothead, even more than two decades earlier, but this was different. It was enough to make Kevin worry. The only one who even seemed to be able to make the man smile from time to time was Alexis…or Danny who had everyone in room wrapped around his pinky.

Shortly before the evening ended, Kevin found Sonny on the terrace alone.

"Sonny, I was very sorry to hear about Olivia. I understand she was your son's mother. "

"Yeah and a good friend." Sonny dropped his head.

"How are you holding up?"

Sonny closed his eyes and shook his head.

"If you ever need to talk to anyone, give me a call." Kevin handed him a business card.

Sonny chuckled. "No offense Kevin, I've already tried the therapy thing."

"How about trying the friend thing? We could grab a cup of coffee or something. You could take pity on a man who lives in a house full of Deception cosmetics."

Sonny began to laugh.

"I'm serious. My home is a sea of pink."

"When you put it like that, I'll give you a call."

Sonny remained on the terrace after Kevin departed. He breathed in the night air. He thought of Connie and how well she was doing before she got involved with him again. He thought of Olivia and her kindness. They both deserved better than him.

"I thought I would find you out here…brooding." Alexis moved to his side. "At least I'll be able to sleep well tonight knowing that you had food and human contact for a little while."

"I'm fine, Alexis, but thank you for having me here tonight." The way she was looking at him reminded him of their time in Puerto Rico. "After everything that's happened between us, why are you still looking out for me? "

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"You're family: Kristina's and Molly's. After everything we've been through, I feel like you're my family as well. Do you remember what you did for me when I had cancer?"

He laughed. "The pot?"

"No, not just the pot." She laughed. "You kept the girls for me. You visited me in the hospital." Alexis placed her hand on top of his. "Do you remember our toast in Puerto Rico?"

"Friends 'til the end?"

She nodded. "Friends 'til the end. And nothing is going to change that."


	2. Backstory

**Backstory Changes**

Although I hadn't planned to change much of the backstory, I changed enough that I thought I needed to separate it from the rest of the story. I should be posting Chapter 2 by tomorrow or Wednesday.

**Zander**

For the purposes of this story, Zander was born to Jeanine Matthews and Mike Corbin at a time when Mike was away on a gambling bender. Mike knew she was pregnant and planned to return for the birth, but was beaten up by some bad people when he was on his way back to Jeanine. Jeanine thought Mike abandoned her and she wasn't prepared to be a single mother, so she gave Zander up for adoption.

When Mike returned six months later, she told him the baby died. She found out she was pregnant with Courtney shortly after Mike returned. Though she suspected that Courtney wasn't Mike's biological daughter, she never told him the truth about Courtney or Zander.

**Alexis**

Kristina's conception remains unchanged. There was the called-off hit and then her night of romance with Sonny. Carly still drove herself over a cliff, faked her death…blah, blah, blah.

A short time after Alexis found out she was pregnant; Jax figured it out. Ned never tried to steal Kristina for himself and Skye. Instead, Jax convinced Alexis to let him pretend to be Kristina's father, which he did. The two remained strictly platonic co-parents. Dobson never happened. Zander also put two and two together and figured out that Kristina was Sonny's. He agreed to keep Kristina's paternity a secret and he never told Sonny the truth.

Ric Lansing is still Sonny's brother and he began romancing Alexis for the same reason and the same way he did on the show.

**Sonny and Zander**

Sonny and Zander found out they were related when Robin Scorpio reviewed their test results after Kristina became ill with Aplastic Anemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. Zander was a match and saved Kristina. Although Sam was in a relationship with Sonny prior to learning that she was Alexis's daughter, Baby Lila was Jason's little girl. Zander continued to work for Sonny until he sued Alexis for custody of Kristina. Zander testified during the custody case on Alexis's behalf, even though he knew he and Sonny were brothers. While he was on the stand, Zander had to admit that he knew Kristina was Sonny's since before she was born. As a result, Sonny told Zander he was done with him.

After being fired by Sonny, Jax hired Zander and put him through business school. Upon graduation, Zander began to work full-time for Jax Industries. The brothers' relationship has remained strained.


	3. Questions

_Hi all. Sorry I missed my self imposed deadline. This one took longer than I expected. I suspect there may be a couple of typos, but I'll edit them as soon as I have the time. I really hope you enjoy. Thanks for the follows and the lovely reviews_

**Questions– Chapter 2**

August 11, 2013

Alexis knocked on the front door of Sonny's home. She wasn't surprised when he didn't answer. She also expected that the front door would be open and it was. And once inside the guards would be nowhere in sight. Whenever Sonny got depressed he behaved as if he had a death wish.

"Sonny," she called out. There was no answer.

The parlor was completely dark. For a moment, she thought maybe he'd gone to the funeral. Then she saw the reflection from a corner of a glass. A closer look revealed a shadow of a man she assumed was Sonny. She felt around for a lamp. A minute or so later, the soft glow of a desk lamp fell on Sonny's face as he sat in the chair across the room. He squinted to help his eyes adjust before he took another sip of what Alexis could only assume was whiskey.

"Just go Alexis."

"You know that's not going to happen." She frowned at him. He looked awful…and sexy. He was the only man she knew who could manage to pull off both at the same time. It wasn't just that his normally slicked back mane of hair and fallen into loose curls, one of which was dangling like Superman's over his forehead. It was the vulnerability that got her…every time. She kneeled at the chair and slid one of her hands over his. "Sonny, the funeral starts in an hour. You need to get dressed."

Sonny rubbed his head. He wasn't that drunk. In fact, he wasn't drunk at all, not that he hadn't tried. Thus, his current state of sobriety would not be enough to deter Alexis. He'd have to rely on the truth. "Dante doesn't want me there. Olivia was his mother. I have to respect his wishes."

She gently removed the glass from the hand she hadn't touched. "Do you really want Dante to look back 5 years from now and think that when he needed his father the most, he was nowhere to be found?"

He could feel her doing the thing she did to make him do things her way. It started with her being reasonable and asking questions that she already knew the answers to. It ended with him looking into her deep brown eyes that spoke more than she every could with words, which was no small feat, and deciding that he was thinking of doing exactly what she was suggesting. "I don't want to get in his way."

"Then don't." She searched his eyes to see if she was making any headway. "Stay out of the way. Stick with me and the girls, but let Dante know you're there if he needs you."

Sonny nodded. There was no point in arguing with her. He headed upstairs to change clothes.

An hour later, Sonny and Alexis entered St. Timothy's church. They took a seat on a pew in a middle row next to Kristina, Michael, Morgan and Molly. Sam had forgone the funeral to stay with Danny at the hospital.

Dante was in the front row with his hands buried in his head while Lulu stroked his back. He looked completely broken. It was a look Sonny had seen at one time or another on the faces of everyone he ever cared about. Most of the time it was brought about by some action he had taken. This time was no different.

Father Coates gave a beautiful homily about love lasting beyond the grave. Jax and Carly talked about what a joy it was to work with Olivia. Lulu talked about how it was an honor to call Olivia family. Then there was Dante. He talked about how his mother had been everything to him when he was a kid. He spoke of her fierce protectiveness that was only exceeded by the unconditional love she gave him. When he was done, there was not a dry eye in the church.

Sonny didn't speak. He was afraid that if he attempted to speak, he would crumble in front of the entire congregation. Alexis must have sensed it because at that moment she took his hand.

When the service was over, Dante, Lulu and a myriad of Falconeris and Cerullos from Bensonhurst greeted the attendees. Sonny stood in a corner near the entrance. A cousin or two of Dante's and all of the Cerullos greeted him as they passed by, but Dante remained dutifully in the receiving line.

Alexis approached Dante and without a word, she enveloped him in a hug. When she did, he was unable to fight back the tears. She rubbed his back. For Alexis, the moment brought back memories of losing her mother, sister and brother. Dante was her daughters' brother and she wished she could do anything to help take away his pain. "You're not alone, Dante. You understand that, don't you?"

He managed a small nod and soon found himself enveloped in the arms of the Davis girls as well as Michael and Morgan. When Dante emerged from the small crowd, he walked directly to Sonny.

"Sonny, thank you for coming." Through tear-stained eyes, Dante extended a hand for Sonny to shake. The gesture felt cold to both men. "If you don't mind, I'd prefer it if you don't come to the gravesite."

Sonny nodded. It hurt, but he understood.

Alexis found her way to Sonny. She took his right hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "The girls and I are going to go with Dante and make sure he's okay." She watched as Sonny nodded, knowing full well he planned to punish himself while he was away from them. "But," she added, "we'll all be at Greystone later this evening."

He knew what she was doing. She was Gatekeeping. He'd overheard Alexis and Ned mention gatekeeping years ago when they were together. Basically, she was trying to manage everyone to make sure nothing and no one fell apart. He often wished he could be more like she was. Typically, he thought of himself first, everyone else be damned. Today, he'd try to do better. He'd let everyone else down recently, the least he could do is try not to let Alexis down. "Ok."

She raised an eyebrow. It couldn't be that simple. With Sonny, things were never that simple. Still, she decided not to fight it. "Ok."

Sonny left the church. He sat in the parking lot in his car for a long while. Finally, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "Kevin, it's Sonny Corinthos. Do you want to meet at Kelly's for that coffee?"

"I'll be there in 15 minutes."

Twenty minutes later, Sonny was sipping on one of his favorite Corinthos-Morgan blends of coffee. Much to his chagrin, Kevin ordered tea. He spent the next five minutes trying to convince Sonny that tea was the wave of the future and he should get in on the ground floor.

Sonny's enforcer and Alexis's ex, Shawn Butler who doubled as the restaurant manager, served it to him. Shawn and Alexis had dated until Alexis decided again that she couldn't live in the violence brought by Sonny's world. It was the world in which Shawn thought he'd shot Olivia by mistake a few months earlier. She'd survived; and yet, now she was gone. And yet, it was Alexis who remained his constant friend. It was slightly confusing, yet he was grateful.

"Sonny, how are you?" Kevin was surprised that Sonny actually called him and he honestly wasn't sure what to expect.

"I'm fine." Sonny looked at Kevin. He hadn't changed much over the years. He still looked like a shrink, except his hair was a little shorter and a little thinner than it had been when her knew him twenty years earlier. Still, he possessed the same gentleness and pleasantness that he had when he treated Stone.

"I imagine today must have been difficult."

"Yeah, but I got through it." He thought of the way Dante broke down at the church. He wanted so badly to comfort him, but he was afraid it wasn't what Dante wanted. "Dante is in bad shape."

"Where is he now?" Kevin raised an eyebrow.

"At the burial. He didn't want me there."

"That must have hurt."

Sonny wasn't sure if Kevin was making small talk or treating him. Either way, he was glad for the company. "It did, but I get it. Dante thinks I'm responsible for his mother's death. If I were him, I wouldn't want me around either."

Kevin leaned back in his chair and gave Sonny a questioning look. "Do you really think you're responsible for what happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Kevin slightly raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to talk about anything in particular?"

"Nope. I just promised Alexis that I'd meet her and the girls later. So, I gotta be ok enough when I see her that she doesn't worry. She's got enough on her mind right now."

Kevin's mind flashed to the day Alexis and Sam came to his office in a panic with hope that he could help her remember the name of Sam's father. He could feel her disappointment as she remembered the name and then immediately processed that the man she hoped would be a savior was a mobster and a dead man. He wondered how much she told Sonny. "Danny?"

"Yeah."

"How is he doing?"

"Not great. He still needs a bone marrow donor," Sonny sighed. Talking about Danny made him feel helpless. Danny was his best friend's son. The kid was robbed of nearly a year of living with his parents, only to ultimately lose his dad for good. It seemed so unfair that he had to be sick, especially when he was too young to understand why. "Alexis is trying to hold it all together. She's taking care of everyone except herself."

"You and Alexis." A half-smile crossed Kevin's lips before he took a sip of his tea. "That was something I didn't expect."

Anxious for a distraction, Sonny waved Shawn over to the table. He ordered French toast and a side a fruit and waited, out of respect for Shawn's recently demised relationship with Alexis, until Shawn was gone before he responded to Kevin's comment. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the last I knew, Alexis was the brilliant attorney that defended me when I needed her most. She was involved with Ned Ashton and I wasn't aware that the two of you were acquainted."

"She was my lawyer, then my neighbor, eventually she was one of my best friends. Then things got complicated. And now, I have a beautiful daughter."

Kevin looked at Sonny's expression. He noticed the way his eyes shifted when he said the word, "complicated" and guessed there was much more to the story. Still, he decided not to push, at least not about that. "She's still important to you, though?"

"She's the mother of my child." It was his default answer. Typically, it satisfied people enough to stop the questions.

"Is that it?"

Three words, and yet, they made Sonny extremely uncomfortable. He wasn't sure why. Still, he decided he'd had enough. "Kevin, thanks for meeting me, but there's somewhere else I have to be."

Clearly he'd hit a nerve, but why? "Sonny, what about your breakfast?"

"You can eat it." He called out as he left Kelly's before he made his way to the Lakehouse.

Thirty minutes after the burial, Alexis looked out of the limousine and became irritated when she noticed that Max was taking she and her girls back to the Lakehouse, instead of Greystone. She was annoyed that Sonny persuaded her to take the limo, saying that the streets were safer if neither she nor Kristina were behind the wheel of a car. She didn't have time to stop at home first, not if she was going to make it back to the hospital to see Sam and Danny.

As she walked into the Lakehouse, she smelled aromas so wonderful that she wondered if someone had broken in. As she considered that burglars typically didn't break in and cook she guessed the culprit. "Sonny," she called out.

He appeared wearing a slight smile on his face. "I needed to take my mind off things and I guessed it had been awhile since you had a decent meal, so I decided to solve to problems at once." The disbelief on Alexis's face made him smile. "After you eat, you can go see Sam and Danny and I'll hang out with the girls."

Molly was at his side in an instant. "That sounds great Uncle Sonny."

"Yeah Dad, I'd like that." Kristina remained in place by her mom.

Alexis was overwhelmed. It was the nicest thing anyone had done for her in a long time. She wondered if the source of the kindness partially contributed to her happiness. She smiled at Sonny. "When have you ever known me to turn down your cooking?"

They ate dinner together. If asked, Sonny and Alexis both would have reluctantly admitted that they enjoyed the family feel of the meal. Alexis left for the hospital after packing for Sam a heaping helping of Sonny's lasagna. Sonny spent the next three hours with Kristina and Molly talking about anything but boys. At 9 p.m., his cell phone rang. He worried when he saw it was Alexis.

"Alexis, is everything ok?"

"It's better than ok. They found a donor for Danny."

"We're on our way." Sonny hung up and began to rush Kristina and Molly into the limo that was waiting outside. Little Danny would have a chance. For now he would celebrate with his family. Still, he couldn't help wondering who this mysterious donor was and just where they had come from.


	4. Developments

_Hi all,_

_I'm back. Not sure how you all are feeling about Sam's daddy Derek, but I'm liking him on the show. He makes an appearance this chapter and he'll be showing up in future chapters. I sincerely feel that Sonny could use some competition when he begins to pursue Alexis. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy and I hope it's not too long._

**Chapter 3– Developments**

August 14, 2013

Alexis walked into Kelly's and looked around for the man she once thought of as a perfect stranger: Derek Wells. Wells purchased Todd Manning's newspaper when Manning returned to Llanview. She'd first met Derek when he'd come on to her at The Floating Rib. She was hardly insulted. Derek was tall with dark hair and hazel eyes. He also had this smirk that made it seem that he was privy to some inside joke that no one else knew. He was most definitely her type.

Shawn, her ex, gave her a little half smile when she entered Kelly's. It was then that she realized that the reason she didn't date was because she hated the uncomfortable feeling that came with the breakups, and breakups were inevitable, mostly because she had a habit of dating the wrong men as evidenced by the fathers of her children. Shawn was a in the business as every man she'd been with except Ned had been, either directly or by extension. She looked away from Shawn and turned her attention to Derek who was sipping a mug of coffee and reading the morning paper.

"Mr. Wells?" Alexis called his name softly.

"Ah Ms. Davis, you look beautiful. And please…call me Derek."

Alexis replayed the words in her mind. He'd called her beautiful. She wasn't even trying that hard. She wore a simple sheath dress and she hadn't even done anything _that_ special with her hair. It would be a lie if she pretended that she wasn't glad he called her even though she and Shawn hadn't been broken up long. There was something about Derek that drew her to him. She hadn't felt that strongly about anyone since…"

"I'm glad you could make it." Derek extended a hand. He closed his hand firmly around Alexis's hand and allowed it to linger for a few seconds. He rose quickly and pulled out the chair across from his for Alexis. When they first met, he felt as though they had this immediate connection. He felt it even stronger now after he learned that through some weird twist of fate, he was the perfect candidate to donate bone marrow to her grandson.

"I couldn't really say, "no" to the man who is going to save Danny's life, could I?" Alexis swung her hair over her shoulder before she sat. She then realized that it was a bit of a flirtatious move.

He smiled at her. "I think I might enjoy learning what else you now can't say "no" to."

Alexis giggled. How long had it been since she giggled? Probably too long. She realized she missed it.

Sonny knew Alexis's giggle the moment he heard it in Kelly's. His eyes roamed the room as he searched for her familiar profile. He immediately felt annoyed when he saw her with Derek Wells. He was on his way to the table to make his presence known when he heard Kevin's voice.

"Hey Sonny."

Kevin had watched the whole scene from his seat at the table near the door. He'd seen the smile on Sonny's face when he first walked in the door. He'd also seen the way it faded when he spotted Alexis with another man. Yet, in the three conversations they'd had since he ran into Sonny at Alexis's house, Sonny assured him that he and Alexis were only friends. Yet, the expression Sonny wore on his face screamed jealousy and danger. He also saw how Sonny's eyes became fixed on Alexis's table. It was that which propelled Kevin out of his chair. There was no point in the man getting arrested before he could help him work through his issues.

"Hey." Sonny was obviously distracted when he answered.

"You wanted to talk?" Kevin thought it was interesting that Sonny wouldn't make an actual appointment to see him, but he would call him and invite him to coffee. That would work…for now, but eventually, he'd get him into actual therapy. "What's up?"

Sonny had almost forgotten why he called Kevin. He took a deep breath. The he recalled the reason. The night before he'd gone to the grill for a simple dinner alone. Unfortunately, he ran into his brother Zander and his girlfriend, Layla Williamson. Within 5 minutes, Zander lit into him about how much time he'd been spending with Alexis lately. The funny thing was Sonny hadn't thought anything about it. Since Kristina had come home four days ago, he'd had Alexis and the girls over for dinner twice and he'd been to the Lakehouse for dinner once. Yet, every time he left them, it seemed like he hadn't spent nearly enough time with them.

Sonny's mind replayed the incident. He came to the grill and went to the bar to order a drink. Before he could take a sip, he heard his brother's voice.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing." Zander started.

"I'm trying to have a drink."

"I mean with Alexis. Now that you've lost Connie and Olivia and every other woman you've been involved with, you're suddenly hanging around Alexis. You and I both know it's a just a game with you." Zander's voice was drenched in anger; yet, he'd spent enough time with Jax to know how to disguise it with sophistication.

The change in Zander wasn't lost on Sonny. He kept his eyes focused on the amber colored liquid in his glass. There was no need to face his brother to have the same argument he'd had for years with Jax and Ned. There were things about his relationship with Alexis that none of them would understand, so he would not bother to explain them. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Sonny understood Zander's loyalty to Alexis. She'd always been good to him. He would never understand his brother's disloyalty to him.

"Really?" Zander raised his voice dramatically. "I was there before, remember?" You know when you convinced Alexis you cared about her and then left her. It almost cost her everything, including your daughter. And while she was suffering you just let it roll off of you."

This was a fight that belonged strictly to Sonny and Zander. Zander was particularly bitter that Alexis lost custody of Kristina to Ned when Kristina was first born because she killed Luis Alcazar. Zander thought Sonny should have done more to protect her and Sonny knew he was right.

"I didn't know Kristina was my daughter." Sonny spoke into his glass. It was a lame excuse and he knew it.

"But you knew Alexis was your friend. At least, she was your friend when it was convenient for you." It was then Zander left him with something to think about. "You're cursed, Sonny. You destroy everything you touch. Leave Alexis alone before you destroy her, too."

After Zander's tirade, Sonny spent the next several hours wondering if Zander was right. Maybe he was responsible for the death and destruction that seemed to follow him. The women in his life were definitely not better off for loving him.

Sonny returned his attention to the present when he heard Alexis let loose a throaty laugh. He watched as she flipped her dark brown hair over her shoulder. She was beautiful…and she was clearly attracted to this guy. And Sonny hated it. But maybe this was the guy for her. He didn't like Wells, but from what he knew, the guy wasn't dangerous. He wasn't Jerry Jax or Shawn or even him. If something developed between them, at least Alexis might have a chance at the security she craved so badly.

"Sonny?" Kevin called Sonny from his thoughts. "Something on your mind?"

"Nah." Sonny took a sip of his coffee. "Not really." He leaned back in his chair. "Do you think it's possible for someone to be cursed?"

"Cursed?" Kevin's eyebrows rose as he looked at Sonny over his cup of tea.

Sonny had been so distracted he didn't even notice when Shawn came to the table, if it was Shawn who brought the tea. It could have been another member of the staff like TJ. He questioned whether he wanted to have this conversation with Kevin. It was bound to lead to more questions. He didn't care.

"Yeah. Do you think it's possible that a person can be doomed to have bad things happen to them and the people they love?"

Kevin eyed Sonny suspiciously. "Is this about Connie and Olivia? Do you feel like you're responsible for what happened?"

"Nah," he lied. The truth was he wasn't sure. "I just wanted to know your thoughts."

Kevin nodded. He wished Sonny would just agree to have therapy sessions so they could delve as deeply as Kevin wanted to go. Still, he would have to make do with these small coffee opportunities. "I think life is more about choice than chance. So, it's a lot less likely that a person is walking around with a dark cloud hanging over his head than it is that the person is making choices that some times put them in bad situations."

Kevin looked at Sonny and noticed that his eyes remained fixed on his coffee. He could practically hear Sonny telling himself that it was his choices that caused harm to both Olivia and Connie. "Sonny, Connie killed Olivia not you."

"I know." He nodded. He wasn't sure if he believed that.

Before Sonny and Kevin could continue their discussion, they were interrupted by a familiar voice. The voice belonged to Alexis.

"Hi guys."

Kevin stood and gave her a hug. Sonny remained seated and let out something akin to a grunt. She joined the two of them at the table. As Derek walked by she gave him a little wave. It made Sonny angrier.

Kevin's voice was warm as he spoke to her. "Alexis, Lucy told me they found a bone marrow donor for Danny. That's great news! It obviously suits you. You are practically glowing."

Upon hearing the glowing comment, Sonny glared at Kevin. Alexis paid him no attention.

"Kevin, I can't tell you how thrilled we are." She squeezed his hand.

After a moment, Alexis realized that Sonny had barely spoken a word. She wondered if he was having a hard day either because he missed Connie or Olivia or both of them. She touched her hand to his cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He leaned back in his chair, which had the effect of moving her hand from his face. He couldn't stay focused with her touching him. "Why were with you with Wells?"

"Didn't I tell you that he's Danny's bone marrow donor?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't explain why you were having breakfast with him."

Alexis chuckled. "I love it when you act inexplicably jealous of the men I date simply because I gave birth to your daught-"

"That's not it."

She quickly went over a list in her mind. If she recalled correctly, Sonny hated that she was involved with Ric, but then again, Ric was his brother. She and Sonny weren't speaking when she was involved with Cameron. Still Sonny hated her relationship with Jerry before they knew he was a sociopath and he even hated her friendship with Jax. He'd been relatively ok with her relationship with Shawn, but that was probably because Shawn worked for him. He could have told Shawn to stop seeing her at any moment and she now believed Shawn would have done it. Maybe it was simply because Sonny was complicated in a way she would never understand. "Ok. You tell me. Why don't you want me to have breakfast with Derek?"

"I don't trust him." He ignored the little voice in his head that reminded him that he decided it was okay if Alexis was interested in Wells.

"What's not to trust? He's a businessman."

"And I'm a coffee importer."

Kevin marveled at the way Sonny and Alexis simultaneously rolled their eyes at Sonny's last comment. Even more fascinating was the way they'd both seemed to forget he was there.

After a moment, Sonny's face softened. "Just be careful around that guy, ok? You're important to me."

Her voice grew soft as she considered Sonny's recent losses. She placed her hand on top of his and squeezed. "I will." She smiled at him. "Hey, I was thinking you could come over and make dinner for me and the girls tonight. We gotten used to decent meals and it would give you some time with Kristina while she's still in town."

"Really?"

"Yes. Kristina and Molly would love to see you. Bring Michael and Morgan if they're available." She looked at her watch. "I've got to meet Sam at the hospital. See you at 6?"

"Yeah." Sonny gave her a half smile.

"Great. Feel free to invite Kevin and Lucy." She patted Sonny on his shoulder as she began to leave. "Great seeing you, Kevin."

Sonny and Kevin sat quietly for a few minutes after Alexis left. Sonny broke the silence.

"So, aren't you going to say something?"

"Why do you think I have something to say?" Kevin took a long sip of tea.

"Because you're a shrink."

"I believe the correct term is psychiatrist, but I'm not treating you."

Sonny moved his head from side to side as if he was weighing the truth of Kevin's statements. At Alexis's house, Kevin asked him about his relationship with Alexis. And now he had been present while Alexis accused him of being jealous. He found it hard to believe that he wouldn't weigh in about their friendship the way the rest of the town did. "So, you've got nothing to say about that whole conversation?"

"Oh right." Kevin perked up as if he was about to make a profound observation. "What kind of wine should I bring to dinner?"


	5. Chapter 5

Hi all, here's the latest installment. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for all of your reviews until this point. I really appreciate them. Derek should be back next chapter.

**A Few Regrets**

August 14, 2013- Evening

Sonny arrived at the Lakehouse at 5:45 p.m. The door was open. He would have been alarmed if it hadn't been for the guards he secretly kept posted near the property around the clock. He'd discretely had them posted there from the time Alexis moved to the property. He knew if Alexis ever found out, she would pitch a fit. Still, he wouldn't risk her safety.

"Alexis," he called out. When there was no answer he walked into her bedroom. He found her fully dressed, lying on her bed. There was another set of clothes sitting beside her. From the rise and fall of her chest, he could tell that she was sleeping. His mind flashed to the last time he'd watched her sleep. She was as beautiful now as she had been then. He spotted a chenille throw at the end of her bed and began to pull it over her.

"Sonny?" She asked. Alexis rubbed her eyes and sat up on her elbows. "What time is it?"

"5:30."

"In the morning?" She sat up a little straighter. "Did I miss dinner?"

Sonny laughed. He loved her appetite. "No, I haven't started dinner. I just got here and the door was open. I didn't see you or the girls…"

"They went to the hospital to check on Sam and Danny." She yawned. "I can't believe I fell asleep. I was just planning to sit on the bed for a minute before I changed clothes and…"

"You're probably exhausted. Have you slept at all since Danny got sick?"

Alexis thought for a moment. She had been trying to be up when Sam was up to keep her in good spirits. And she also stayed up when Sam was sleeping to keep an eye on him. Between taking care of the girls, Danny and as of late Sonny, she was running herself ragged. She prepared to admit the truth about her tired state to him, but when she returned her attention to him, she realized that he was staring at her intently. His large dark eyes seemed almost to be looking through her soul. The best she could do for a response was shake her head "no."

Alexis began to move the comforter back so she could get out of bed. She quickly found Sonny's hands on top of hers.

"Why don't you just stay here and rest? I'll start dinner."

She let out a half snort as she thought about the likelihood of sleeping while Sonny rambled around her kitchen. The food would smell too good. And her mind would betray her as she thought of what their life could have been like if she'd told him about Kristina. Or before they'd hurt each other in so many other ways. No, she would join him in the kitchen and enjoy what remained between them: their friendship.

"I have a better idea. Why don't I follow you into the kitchen and watch you cook? Who knows, maybe I can learn a thing or two after all these years."

"It too late for you to learn anything." He flashed a dimpled grin. "At least, it is in the kitchen."

The man could probably flirt in his sleep. She playfully slugged his arm, after which he yelped. In turn, she called him, "tough guy."

In the kitchen, it seemed almost like old times. Alexis watched Sonny move about with an enviable effortlessness. He sliced tomatoes into paper-thin slices.

Sonny chuckled as Alexis grabbed a slice of tomato. She was eating them almost as fast as he sliced them. At this rate it would probably take him twice as long as normal to prepare dinner and he could care less.

Why did it always have to be so easy with the two of them? All of it made Sonny long for what he couldn't have. She thought of him as broken. He knew that. And it wasn't because of his crimes or his temper. It was because of his moods. Why else would she be comfortable dating his brother or Jerry Jax…or anyone of the men that were just as dangerous as he was?

"So, what's going on between you and Derek Wells?" The question left his mouth before he could think about it.

"Going on?"

"Yeah. You interested in him or what?"

Alexis felt the heat rise to her cheeks. The truth was she was quite interested in Derek Wells. However, she had no desire to admit this to Sonny. So, she decided on deflection. She stole another sliced tomato before Sonny could put it into the sauce. "Let's talk about something that concerns you instead. What's going on between Michael and Morgan?"

"Oh you heard about that?"

"Kristina filled me in this morning. She said that Michael's in love with Morgan's girlfriend. Is that true?"

"No," Sonny said. He slapped at her hand as she reached for a third tomato slice. "It's worse than that. As of 2 p.m. today, Morgan's girlfriend became Morgan's wife."

"Is this the same wife that the newspaper also revealed earlier today was not Michael's cousin?"

"Yep. Derek Wells' newspaper." He studied his sauce more intently than necessary.

"Sonny, Derek is not the point. You need to do something about Michael and Morgan."

"Like what?" Sonny stopped stirring and stared at Alexis. He was at a loss when it came to the situation between his sons.

"I don't know. Pay the girl off or fit her with cement shoes…"

"Cement shoes?" Sonny chuckled. "Who are you and what have you done with Alexis?"

She sighed. "Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating, but Sonny, you of all people should appreciate how important it is that Michael and Morgan's relationship isn't ruined by a girl. Don't you wish you were closer to Ric-"

He cut her off. "Ric is a psychopath."

"Or Zander?"

"I don't want to talk about Zander. He betrayed me." Sonny began rapidly dicing a red pepper.

"So did I, but you managed to forgive me. And I will forever feel guilty since you and Zander are estranged because of me."

When had the conversation taken this turn? Sonny definitely didn't like it. Now was a good time to change the subject. "So, back to Derek Wells, are you going to go out with him?"

"And why exactly would you like to know?" Once more, Alexis grabbed for an errant vegetable, this time a carrot, only to have Sonny shoo her hands away.

"Because I have a lot of enemies. I need to make sure that no one is trying to use you or the girls to get to me."

Alexis hopped off of the stool she'd been sitting on. "I'm so grateful you knocked me up otherwise no one would ever want to be with me. Getting to you is the only reason I ever get a date."

"Alexis…" Sonny stretched her name out. "That's not what I'm saying. Jerry Jacks wanted you for you and he was a madman. The bottom line is you have terrible taste in men."

"Present company included," she mumbled on her way out of the kitchen.

"I heard that!" He yelled behind her.

Forty-five minutes later, Alexis re-entered the kitchen wearing a purple silk shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Sonny smiled as he watched her soak in the heavenly smells of dinner, which included Eggplant Parmesan, Orecchiette with sausage and roasted peppers, a side of roasted pears and sweet potatoes, Cesar salad and biscotti from Sonny's favorite bakery.

Kevin arrived before the girls. Sonny grew a little a bit anxious by the way Kevin watched him and Alexis interact. Molly, Kristina, Sam and Michael arrived a short time afterward. Morgan sent a text that stated that he and his bride were going to forgo the evening's festivities. He added that he was sure Sonny would prefer having Michael there anyway.

During dinner, Sonny found himself growing annoyed that so much of the family's chatter was about Derek Wells. The girls went on about his looks and his heroic gesture that would save Danny. As a result, Sonny became progressively quieter. Kevin took all of this in without saying a word.

Not long after dinner, Michael disappeared on the terrace. Alexis followed him a short time later.

"Hey you." She stood at his side and gently bumped his arm with her own.

"Hey Alexis."

"One day, I'm going to have a talk with your father about how wrong it was of him to teach you how to brood."

"I'm not brooding."

Alexis chuckled. "That's exactly what your father says. He's taught you well." She let a comfortable silence fall over them. After a minute or so, she spoke again. "You want to tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm in love with someone I can't have."

"If you're talking about your brother's wife, you're right." Michael stared at Alexis for a moment. She continued speaking. "I know you expected me to tell you how unfair the whole situation is to you, but I can't. All I can tell you is that Morgan is your brother and he's in love with this girl. And for that reason, you have to bow out. Nothing matters more than family and nothing hurts like being betrayed by the family you love."

She thought for a minute of the way her heart broke when she found Sam with Ric. She even knew that Ric acted in part because he believed she loved Sonny more than she loved him. Then there was Zander who still bore Sonny's wrath because he'd kept her secrets. Worst of all, she thought of the last lie she told her own sister about Ned, her sister's boyfriend being Kristina's father. Although her sister forgave her, she died trying to be a voice of truth to Alexis's lies.

Neither of them heard Kevin open the terrace door.

"But how do you stop loving someone?" Michael's voice pulled her from her thoughts. He searched her gaze for answers. He was willing to try anything.

"You move on. You throw yourself into work. You force yourself to see other people. Ultimately, you choose to love someone else more than you love the one you're giving up. For you it is your brother for me it was my daughter." That's what she had done with Sam, Kristina and Molly. She gave up the men she loved because she loved her daughters more and she wanted them to grow up safe, in healthy environments. She leaned against the short wall that surrounded the terrace and looked up at the stars.

Michael nodded as he started to understand what Alexis meant. "Are you talking about what happened between Sam and Uncle Ric?"

Kevin cleared his throat in a not so subtle way. "Hi Michael. Your dad and the other Davis women are looking for you."

"Uh, thanks." Michael placed his hand on Alexis's shoulder. He then said softly, "And thank you Alexis."

She simply nodded. She continued her stargazing.

"Interesting conversation." Kevin joined her at the wall. He too began to look upward.

"I was trying to convince Michael that sometimes you have to let go of the one you love in order to save your family."

"Oh." Kevin nodded. "It sounded like you knew a little something about that subject."

"Yes. In a way, I learned it from my family on Cassadine island. They were horrible people who would do whatever it took to destroy you mentally; yet, they would not harm a hair on each other's heads. It really speaks a lot because they were not opposed to killing. There's a part of me that knows Helena let me live because I was Mikkos's family…and because she enjoyed torturing me. Otherwise it doesn't make sense that she would kill my mother and let me live." Alexis walked to her patio door. She looked at Sam showing Michael new photos of Danny and Sonny sitting on the sofa with Molly and Kristina laying on each of his shoulders. "I do know something about sacrificing love for family, Kevin, more than you can imagine."


End file.
